Can opener



W. J. STARR May 10, 1960 CAN OPENER Filed ept. 24'. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 a 2 H i W w f n w m m WIFA Wwf/fz@ .z mme BY /l l Arran/fx W. J. STARR May 10, 1960 CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 24, 195s INV ENT OR. W//V/C/[Z J .I 754,191? W z;

' 6mm/H- United States Patent O CAN OPENER 'winnen J. starr, Philadelphia, Pa. Application September v24, 1958, Serial No. 762,977

7 Claims. (Cl. 3U-8.5)

This invention relates generally to can openers, and is especially concerned with a highly improved construction of can opener adapted to eifect severance of the can end by approximately axial rotation of the can in engagement with a cutting element.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a can opener of the type described which is more durable in4 construction and reliable in operation, having an extremely long usable lifev and consistently effecting clean and complete severance of cans being opened.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a can opener having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding. paragraph which is extremely 'I simply in structure and very easy to operate, effecting more than ample cutting force with a minimum of effort. lt is still a further object of the present invention to provide a can opener of the character described which is capable of being produced either as an externally supported device, say as a wall-mounted can opener, or as a hand-held device, as desired by the manufacture.

Other objects of the present 4invention will become apparent upon reading the following speciication and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in` the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims. 1

In the drawings:

Figure l is -a side elevational View showing a handheld type of can opener constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view showing the can opener of Figure l; f

Figure 3 is a partial elevational viewctaken from the opposite side as is Figure l;

Figure 4 is a partial top planviewof the device of i Figures 1 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along I the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 6, vbut showing the operative condition of use;

VFigure 8 is a side elevational view showing a slightly "modified can opener of the present invention adapted to be lmounted on a supporting wall;

Figure 9 is a sectional elevational view vshowing the interior construction of the can opener of Figure 8;

Figure l0 is a partial top view taken substantially along the line 10-10 of Figure 8; Y

, Figure l1Y is a sectional Velevational view taken sub-A ;stantially along the line 11-'11 of Figure 10; and

Figure 12 is a bottom view taken substantially along 2,935,781 Patented May 10, 1960 rice VReferring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figures l-7 thereof, a hand-held can opener may be observed as generally designated v20 `in Figure l, and includes broadly a handle 21 and an operating head 22; A generally at, elongate underplate or base 2.3 rigidly connects and forms part of both the handle and head. The base plate `23 includes an elongate portion 24 which xedly carries on its upper side a handgrip 25, lcombining with the latter to define the handle 21. Extending from one end of the elongate handle portion 24 of the base 23 is a laterally enlarged end region 26, which has its laterally extending region dening an arcuate-ly concave edge 27, see Figure 4, for seating a can Vas will become apparent presently, and which ,rigidly carries on its upper side a generally vertical body 28, the base portion 26 and body 28 both -being parts of th headZZ. j Y

The body l28 may be of vertically elongate, generally rectangular hexagonal configuration having its lowerv end fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 26, and provided on its upper end with an upstanding, internally threaded tubular boss 29. Formed interiorly of the body 28 in 4an upper region thereof is a through slot or hollow 30 opening through opposite surfaces ofthe body longitudinally of the base 23 and spaced above the latter. An additional hollow or recess is formed internally of the body 28 extending rdownward from the hollow 30sat 31, adjacent to and opening through the outerv side of the body longitudinally of the base, and further extending downward -at 32 to the base end region 26. More speciiically, the internal hollow region 31 extends downward and converges forwardly Afrom the upper internal hollow region 3) to the lower internal hollowr region 32, the intermediate and lower hollow regions 311 and 32 being spaced from the rearward surface of the upstanding body 2S and opening through the' forward surface thereof. This is best seen in Figure 5, where it is also evident that the hollow regions 30, 3l, and 32 combine to deline in the body '28 a member 33 in the lower rearward region of the body having a generally horizontal upper surface region 34 bounding the upper hollow region 30, and a diagonally extending, forwardly and upwardly facing, surface region 35 bounding the hollow region 31and a forwardly facingsurface 36 bounding the lower internal hollow region 32. As is apparent from the drawings, the surface region 34 extends forwardly from the rearward surface of the body 28, the surface region 35 extending forwardly and downwardly from the forward end of the surface region 34, and the surface region 36 extending downwardly from the lower `forward end of the ysurface region 35, terminating at the base region 26.

Formed in opposite sides of the body 28, above the internal body member 33, are a pair of aligned, vertically extending, through slots 40. That is, the slots 40 each extend laterally inward through a respective side of the body 23, opening into the hollow 30, and are in substantial alignment or registry with each other. In addition, the slots are in substantial vertical alignment with the opstanding tubular boss 29.

Denning an internal downward extension of the interior of boss 29, in the hollow 30, is a bore 41 having complementary recesses formed in opposite internal sides of the hollow 3i). The bore 41 is in substantial vertical alignment with the slots 40, and terminates at its lower end adjacent to and above the slots. c

A lever 45 includes a 'pair of arms 46 and 47`rigidly connected together in generally right-angular relation, with the distal end region 48 of the arm 46 located in the hollow 30 and the distal end region 49 of the arm 47 located exteriorly of the body 28. The arm end region -48 is mounted interiorly of the body 28 on a pivot pin or journal 50 extending laterally across the hollow `30 and having spaced regions slidably and rotatably .re-

ceived in respective slots 40 of the body 28. Thus, the lever end region 48 is mounted by the pin 50 for rota- `tion about the axis of the later, and also for translation gion and with respect to the central region of the cam As seen in Figure 5, in solid lines, with the lever 45 swung to its extreme clockwise position and the edge or edge surface of cam 53 engaging the member or guide 33, Yand particularly the surface region 34 thereof, the

' pin 50 is in its uppermost position in the slots 40. Furtical movement in the slots 40.

In order to yieldably maintain the cam 53 with its edge in bearing engagement with the upwardly facing surface regions of guide member 33, an externally threaded plug 55 is engaged in the boss 29, and has a spring 56 depending through the boss 29 into the bore 41 and carrying on its lower end a buton or retaining element 57 in engagement with the edge surface of cam 53 generally opposite to the region of cam engagement with the guide member 33. As may be observed in Figure 5, the

location of retaining head 57 in engagement with theV cam 53 cooperates with the location of cam engagement with the guide-member bearing surfaces 34 and 35 to yieldably retain the cam in both of the illustrated positions.

Slidably engaged astride the body 28 is a yokelike carrier 60 having an apertured upper, medial region 61 spacedly receiving the boss 29, and depending extensions or legs 62 and 63 on opposite sides of the head 28. The pin 50 has its opposite end portions projecting through and secured to respective legs 62 and 63 of the carrier 60, so that the latter is vertically slidable with the pin upon vertical shifting movement of the latter and limited bypin engagement With opp'osite ends of the slots 40. Spaced below the ends of pin 50 secured to the legs 62 and 63, the latter are respectively formed with vertically elongate slots 64 and 65. Located intermediate the slot 64 and the pin 50, exteriorly on the leg 62 of carrier 60,

. is a mounting block 66 to which is fixed a depending cutter 67 having an obliquely extending knife edge l68.

A laterally extending shaft 70 is journaled inthe lower region of the body 28, extending laterally therebeyond through the slots 64 and 65 ofthe carrier legs, and carryin g on one end, adjacent to the cutter 67, a toothedvfeeding wheel 71. That is, the toothed feeding wheel 71 is located directly beneath the mounting block 66, so that the cutter 67 is movable relative to the feeding wheel between the inoperative position of Figure 6 and the operative position of FigureV 7. On the other end of rotary shaft 70 is fixed a crank arm or turning handle 72 for manually eifecting rotation of the feeding wheel 71.

In operation, Ythe handle 21 may be grasped in one hand of the operator, and the lever 45 swung upward, the position illustrated in Figures 14. The can opener 20 is then arranged to engage the bead of a can over the feeding wheel 71, beneath the mounting block 66 and cutter 67. The lever 45 is then swung downward to the position illustrated in dot-anddash outline in Figure 5, and also shown in Figure 7, whereupon the cutter 67 punctures the can and initiates cutting action. 'I'he side Wall of the can is seated against the edge 27 of the base portion 26, and the upper end bead or chine of the can 4 is retained between the feeding wheel 71 and mounting block 66. Hence, upon rotation of the feeding wheel,

Vas by actuation of the crank arm 72, the can is axially rotated while being held in position to be cut by the cutter 67.

In the embodiment of Figures 8-12 are shown a can opener similar to Vthat of Figures 1-7, but wherein the device is modified for permanent mounting on a wall or other suitable supporting surface. The can opener of Figures 8-12 is lgenerally designated 20a and is mounted on a wall surface 37. The can openery includes an arm 21a corresponding and similar to the handle 21, and a head 22a corresponding and similar to the head 22.

' By way of difference, the arm 21a is provided on its end remote from the head 22a with a structure 75 for mounting the device on the wall surface .137; and, the head 22a has been reversed, or turned 180 about a vertical axis with respect to the base plate 23a to facilitate righthand manual operation from the front of the device, rather than from the rear.

To further facilitate operation from the front, the lever 45a, corresponding to the lever 45, swings between the generally horizontal position of Figure 9, and a depending position (not shown), the base end region 26a being provided with a cutout 76 for receiving the lever in its depending position. Of course, the principles of operation of the embodiments are substantially identical.

The mounting structure 75 includes a bracket 77 having a generally vertical plate 78 adapted to be fixed to the wall surface 37, as by fasteners 79. A pair of vertically spaced, generally horizontal lower and upper plates 80 and 81 project outward'from the wall plate 78; and, a generally vertically disposed journalv pin or bolt extends between and through the horizontal plates 80 and 81, as best seen in Figure ll. The journal pin 82 may be a conventional square-headed bolt, having its head 83 on the underside of the lower plate 80, and having its threaded-end region projecting in spaced relation through and upward beyond the upper plate 81. The end region 85 of the arm 21a remote from the head 22a is provided with a generally vertically disposed through bore 86 through which extends the pin 82 for mounting the can opener 20aV for rotation about the axis of the bolt.

-A boss or enlargement 87 is provided on the underside of lower plate 80 and configured for engagement with one at side of the bolthead 83 to prevent axial rotation of the bolt. Formed in the lower plate 80 spaced anguiarly about the axis of bolt 82 are a plurality of through apertures 88; and, a depending projection 89 is formed on the underside of the arm 21a for engage ment in a selected one of the apertures 88. As the bracket plates 80 and 81 are spaced apart vertically a greater dist-ance than the vertical dimension of the arm 21a, the arm is vertically shiftable along the bolt 82 between the bracket plates. Thus, the projection 89 is removably insertable into a selected one of the apertures y88, and upon removal from one such aperture, the arm 21a may be rotated about the bolt 82 to the desired angular position, and lowered to engage the projection in another of the apertures. Slidably circumposed about the bolt 82, Iand received in the upper bracket plate 81 when seated on the upper side of the arm 21a, is a tubular member or spacer 84. `A nut 90 is threadedly engaged on the upper end of the bolt 82 above the spacer 84 and is movable downward into lengagement with the spacer to prevent upward shifting movement of the arm tion provides a can-opener construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope" of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A can opener comprising an upstanding hollow body, a cam guide in said body having an upwardly facing cam bearing surface, a lever having one end interiorly of said body above said bearing surface and having its other end extending exteriorly of said body, pivot means mounting said one lever end for rotation about an axis transverse of said body and translatory movement toward and away from said bearing surface, a cam xed to said one lever end for movement therewith and engagement with said bearing surface, resilient means in said body above said cam and engaging with the latter to maintain said cam against said bearing surface, said cam being configured for coacting engagement with said bearing surface to eifect lever translation in opposite directions upon lever rotation in opposite directions respectively, a can-feeding wheel disposed exteriorly of and rotatably carried by said body, a cutter mounted on said body for shifting movement toward said feeding wheel into operative relation with the latter and away from said feeding wheel out of said operative relation, and means operatively connecting said cutter to said lever for electing cutter shifting movement into and out of said operative relation upon lever translation in opposite directions.

Z. A can opener according to claim 1, in combination with an arm extending transversely from said body and carrying the latter.

3. A can opener according to claim 2, said' connecting means comprising a carrier slidably engaged on said body and connected to said pivot means for translatory movement therewith, said cutter being carried by said carrier for movement therewith.

4. A can opener according to claim 3, said connecting means further comprising a mounting member X- edly secured to said carrier and cutter for carrying the latter with said carrier, said mounting member having one side facing toward the periphery of said feeding wheel generally normal to a radius thereof and engageable with the chine of a canto maintain the latter in proper position relative to the feeding wheel and cutter.

5. A can opener comprising an upstanding hollow body, a cam guide in said body having an upwardly facing cam bearing surface, a lever having one end interiorly of said body above said bearing surface and having its other end extending exteriorly of said body, pivot means mounting said one lever end for rotation about an axis transverse of said body and translatory movement toward and away from said bearing surface, a cam fixed to said one lever end for movement therewith and engagement with said bearing surface, resilient means in said body above said cam and engaging with the latter to maintain said cam against said bearing surface, said cam being configured on one side for coacting engagement with said bearing surface to effect lever translation in opposite directions upon lever rotation in opposite directions respectively, said cam being configured on its other side for engagement with said resilient means to be releasably retained by the latter in a selected position of its movement, a can-feeding wheel disposed exteriorly of and rotatably carried by said body, a cutter mounted on said body for shifting movelment toward said feeding wheel into operative relation with the latter and away from said feeding wheel out of said operative relation, and means operatively connecting said cutter to said lever for effecting cutter shifting movement into and out of said operative relation upon lever translation in opposite directions.

6. A can opener according to claim 5, in combination with means for adjusting the force of said resilient means to assure of maintenance of said cam against said bearing surface.

7. A can opener according toclaim `6, said resilient means comprising a coil compression spring n said body having one end in operative bearing relation with said other side of said cam, and said adjustment means comprising a threaded member threadedly engaged in said body and in operative bearing relation with the other end of said coil compression spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,102,174 Aeschbach Dec. 14, 1937 

